Side bearing for cars.



N I L H G U A L D H SIDE BB'ARING FOR CARS.

APPL IOATION FILED 13530.18. 1906.

3 SHEBTS-SHEET 1.

No. 846,577. BATENTED MAR. 12, 19,01.

- H. 1). LAUGHLIN.

SIDE BEARING FOR CARS.

APPLIUATION IILED' 1120.18, 1906.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY D. LAUGHLIN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

SIDE BEARING FOR CARS.

V No. 846,577.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 12, 1907.

Application filed December 18 1906- Serial No. 348,410-

To all whom it ma concern:

- Beit known that I, HENRY D. LAUGHLIN,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and'State of Illinois, have invented certain new and use--: ful Improvements in Side Bearings for Cars, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in car side bearings of the antifrict'ion type, and has for its object to improve the construction of side bearings of the general type referred to in my prior patent, No. 722,995,- dated March 17, 1903.

In a side bearin of the general type having a rolling top rounding ashar curve, is liable to cause breakage of certain weaker parts of the hearing. The particular'object of the present invention is to so limit the movement of the top bearing-plate that any extreme stress will be sustained by the stron er parts, and thereby diverted from the wee er parts.

The lnvention consists in the matters hereinafter described, and more particularly pointed out in the a pended claims, and that the invention may e fully understood referof the top plate.

the same. Fig. 5 isa side elevation with the .top' bearing member in position. Fig. 6 isa vertical sectional view taken on curved line VI VI of Fig. 1 F-i 7 is a transverse section taken on line Vfi VII of Fig. 1; Fi 2 8 is a transverse section taken on line V II VIII of Fig. 1; and Fig.9 is an end elevation of the bearing, the parts being at normal.

The general construction of the bearing is like that shown and described in In said prior patent and will not therefore e described in detail.

In the drawings, 1 designates as a whole a box-like base member provided at either-end with suitable lugs 2 2, whereby it is bolted to the top of a truck-bolster, said base member having the form of an open-topped'oblong and approximately rectangular box. curved, however, throughout its length to the arc of it is mounted.

earin -plate any suddenthrust brought upon to same,- as when outwardly-pro j ectin oscillation of that art of thebolster on which ithin said base member is arranged a roller-carriage 3, constructed to receive a plurality of longitudinal series of roller elements 4, 5, .and 6, the two outer sets preferably each comprising four rollers, while the intermediate set comprises two rollers only. The roller elements are mounted on shafts 7 8 mounted in the carriage 3 and extending radially with respect to the center bearing of the truck, and in order that the carriage may travel naturally inthe curved path described the. several roller elements are made slightly tapering.

The carriage and the top bearing-plate are automatlcall centered with respect to the bearing-box y means of two helical ex ansion-springs 13 13', one at each end 0 the carriage, as shown. To receive the springs, sockets 3", having ends orbottoms 3", are cast in the ends of the carriage 3. Loosely arranged within the end walls 15 of the top bearing member 15 are two abutment-plates 14, provided with cylindric inward extensions 14, fitting loosely within the springs.

The top plate 15 is movable independently of said abutment-plates, as hereinafter ex-.

plained.- Said plates 14 are constructed to v I fit easil at their ends between the. side walls of the rearing-box, and in order that they shall be actuated (one at a time) by the top bearing-plate 15 the latter is 1 provided at each end with depending lugs 16, which over lap the outer surfaces 0 the respective abut ment-plates 14. The top plate 15 ismade coextensive with the bearing-box and is 'ovided u on its sides with iIlWfl-IdlY-PIOJECting con ing-flan'ges 17, which underlie the flanges 18. upon the sides of t e bearin ox, as shown in Fig. 7,

u whi e free to reci rocate upon the former.

s end walls of the base portion of the bearing-box are' provided with upstanding lugs '19, which serve to arrest and limit the move- .ment of thespring-Elates 14' when the top, "fted, and also tend-to I bearing) member is s arrest 0th .the carriage and the top plate when the latter assume their centered posi-' tions. The top plate 15 is provided cenupper surface 15", which serves to distribute the load more evenly over the roller elements as clear] described in my prior patent.

It will whereb the top'p ate is held against lifting .trally with an elevated, preferably flattened.-

-ire be understood from the foregoing that the top.bearing-plate15 is so interconnected withthe'r'oller-carriage on which it is mounted'through the medium of the abutment-plates 14 and the springs that its movement in either direction will compress both of the springs, and one of its ends will mdve beyond or into overhangin relation with thebase or fixed bearing member 1.

In side bearings of certain prior construe-- tions when the top plate has been moved forward or backto the end of its travel the springs are fully compressedthat is to say, their coils are in sohd contactand hence the shocks 0r blows are received by the ends of the spring-sockets and by the parts corresponding to the lugs 16 herein shown,

broken the weaker parts of such bearings,

which must then be provided with new parts.

To prevent such breakage of parts, I'provide extensions of the base member itself, which limit the travel of the top late at points where the springs will be alhiost, but not fully, compressed. Applying this principle I provide the sides ofthe base member,-clese 'to their upper edges, with centrally-positioned upwardly and outwardly projecting stop-lugs 21', as clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 4. These lugs are cast'integral with the base member and are suflicien'tl long and heavy movement of the top plate, protecting the weaker parts-from the blow and transferring the same to the base member without, however, in any way detracting from the efficiency of the hearing as a whole. In the reverse movement of the top plate the other pair of stop-shoulders 22 operate to limit the movement of the plate by engagement with said lugs 21. 4

It is to be observed that the location of the lugs 21 is mid-length of the bearing, and the longitudinal width of these lugs is such that considered with reference to the location of the cooperating lugs 22 at the respective ends "of the stop-plate they properly limit the movements of the latter in both directions.

However, independent-sets of stops 21 might 'be provided and located otherwise than midlength of the bearing; but the construction shown is preferred.

It will be understood that when, the top bearing-plate is shifted by the action'of the car-body thereon one -of the abutmentplates 14 will be drawn with and in the same direction as the top plate, but the'other abutment-plates 14 will be retained by the end of the base member, as indicated by dotted lines An unusually severe blow of this character has in Fig. 2. In other words, said abutments are free to be pushed inwardly or toward the center of the bearing. but not outwardly beyond the ends of the bearing-base. As one of the abutment-plates is pushed inwardly by the movement of the top bearing member one of the springs will be compressed between that plate and the more slowly moving rollercarriage, while the other spring will also be compressed between the opposite end of said carriage and the opposite abutment-plate. When the displacing force is removed from the bearing, the springs by expanding restore the carriage and the top member to normal position.

It will be obvious that the details of construction may be modified without departing from the invention, and, moreover, that the invention is not limited to the specific type of side bearing described herein.

I claim as my invention 1. In a side bearing for cars, a recessed base member, an antifriction device movable longitudinally within'said base, coiled springs for centering said antifriction device, a bear-.

ing-plate mounted upon the latter, operative connections between the ends of said bearingplate and said springs, a centrally-located stop upon the side of said base member, and stops upon the ends of the sides of the bearing plate, said bearing-plate stops being arranged to impinge upon the first-named stop and thereby protect the operative connections before either of said springs shall have been fully compressed.

2. In a side bearing for cars, a box-like base member, an antifriction device longitudinally movable therein, helical springs for centering said antifriction' device, movable abutments normally held between the outer ends of said springs and the end walls of the base member, a bearing-plate mounted upon said antifriction device, the ends of said bearing-plate being provided with laterally positioned stops, a centrally-located stop integral with the-side wall of the base member and projecting upwardly and outwardly, said stop being arranged to receive the thrust of the stops upon said bearing plate before either of said springs shall have been fully compressed by movement of said'bearingplate. 7

3. In a side bearing for cars, a box-like base member the longitudinal sides of which are each provided with a central, upwardly and outwardly projecting stop-lug, an antifriction'device movable longitudinally within said base, a top bearing-plate mounted upon said antifriction device for longitudinal motion, the sides of the top bearing-plate overhanging the sides of said base member, stoplugs projecting inwardly from the sides of the top plate at the ends thereof, loosely-mounted abutment-plates within the respective ends of the top bearing-plate, springs interposed between said plates and the ends of the antifriction device, stops npon the base. memher .for limiting the outward motion of said .platesg said inwardly-projecting lugs of the top bearing-plate being so ositionedas to.

4 impinge upon said centre y-located lugs of the-base member before": either of said springs shallhavebecom'e fully com ressed. 4. n

a side bearing. for-cars,- a' ox-like base member the longitudinal sides of :which are each provided with a central, upwardly '-'and outwardly projecting stop-lug, an anti tions, of.- said overhanging side's, looselyfriction device longitudinally. movable within" said base, a top bearing member consi'stingof a plate havin downwardly-projecting or overhanging si es and end portions,ts toplugs projecting inwardly from the end por-' mounted abutment-plates-within'the respective ends of said top bearing member, co m-.

1 -pression-springs lying between said abu.t

ment-plates'and said antifriction device, and stops upon the ends of the base member for limiting the outward movement of the abutment-plates; said stop-lugs of the ends of the 2 5 top bearing member being so position as to impinge upon-said stop-lugs of the base mainvber'bel tore full compression of said springs.

rangedto positively limit, the longitudinal traverse of the plate in each directlon.

' HENRY D. LAUGHLLN.

Witnesses:

ALBERT H. GRAVES,

EMILIE Ross. 

